Thursday, April 16, 2015

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Deborah Barnes figured all she had to do was open the doors to her new digs for the elderly homeless and she’d be swamped. After all, the most recent homeless count indicates 280 people ages 55-80 are living on the streets and 93 eking out an existence in South Coast shelters. Barnes ​— ​who runs the nonprofit Worth Street Reach ​— ​opened a 12-bed facility in Goleta this November, and five months later she has only three residents with another four reportedly on the way. “It’s taking longer than we expected,” she said. Because of this, Barnes is already $18,000 behind on the rent she owes her landlord and is now launching a GoFundMe.com fundraising drive.

Barnes said she’s been alarmed at the growing number of older people in acute financial distress. “We’re not talking about alcoholics, drugs addicts, or the mentally ill,” she said. “We’re talking about people who’ve worked their whole lives and got foreclosed on in the Recession.” The good news, she said, is that rent is cheap ​— ​$550 a month ​— ​and that covers meals and utilities. For prospective residents, the daunting news is they will have to share a room. “For a lot of people that’s a shock,” Barnes acknowledged.

Barnes said she struggled to find a landlord willing to rent to her for such a purpose. When she asked landlord Dario Pini ​— ​well known for his legal battles over habitability issues ​— ​he responded energetically, showing her and her board five properties in one day. They took the first one, a one-story home with six bedrooms and four baths. Pini jackhammered the backyard patio to create garden space, where City College students have planted an organic vegetable garden to supply 30 percent of the residents’ produce. Residents are expected to help out with the gardening and also spend one day a week volunteering for organizations like Unity Shoppe, the animal shelter, and Bici Centro, or reading to shut-ins. Though Barnes acknowledged this might not be for everyone, she said she’s trying to address the demands generated by the so-called Silver Tsunami. “And it beats sleeping on the floor of the Rescue Mission chapel,” she said.

Comments

As a current resident of this home, I'd like to say that this article is the opposite of all this home reflects. The home is lovely, the edible garden is in full bloom. Any senior age 55 and older would enjoy living here, not just those experiencing homelessness. Each room has a private patio, the living room, dining room and kitchen are spacious and comfortable, with a bike path to the left, shopping to the right, a bus stop only a few steps away and a companion to join you, this home offers much more than just "better than.......".

Ms Barnes: “We’re talking about people who’ve worked their whole lives and got foreclosed on in the Recession.”

Maybe this is a mythical demographic. Older people who worked their whole lives usually had their houses paid off by the time the 2008 bubble crashed. And hopefully were not foolish enough to refinance this critical asset leaving them in debt at this time in their lives.

Don't forget the big real estate bubble got people into houses they could not afford for only a few years, they often lived rent free until they were finally forced to leave. These were not their "life-time homes". They were windfall opportunities for a few months or a few years only, which they often trashed beyond repair when they finally had to leave.

But saying that, Ms Barnes is to be commended creating this opportunity for the elderly homeless and I wish her every success for those who finally choose to come in off the streets and out of the bushes. Brava, Ms Barnes, you saw a problem and you found a solution. Hats off to Mr Pini as well. Hope you succeed. Best wishes.

Worth House of SB is a senior congregate sober independent living home that was opened in response to a crisis. Housing Authority was in sequester. Rentals were and are at .05% availability. Rents keep escalating and with 5 colleges and 3 or 4 language schools filling rentals with foreign and out of town students, individuals on fixed incomes, such as seniors were finding themselves houseless. Some owned their homes and could not maintain mortgages after illness, accidents, spousal loss and no family to aid them. After taking several surveys of seniors 62+ on fixed incomes in shelters and other homeless programs Worth Street Reach stepped up to offer a solution. Master leasing homes.We have had 7 residents since November and have now moved in a live-in on site manager. The residence is a beautiful ranch house lovingly furnished by our community. There is nothing lacking from exercise equipment to brand new washer and dryer, library, movies, memory foam beds and fabulous organic foods, walking distance to everything and a bus at our gate.We are now open to applicants to further fill the house and are interviewing presently for the newly constructed sunroom. Many seniors feel they will somehow regain what they lost. The “shock” mentioned is the reality check. When you only have $500 to $1000 fixed income as most applicants due, you are not going to find a rental, pay, utilities and be able to live. We give rest, relaxation, a beautiful surrounding to heal in, regain strength so seniors can think clearly and make wise decisions instead of spending the day figuring out how to survive, after being out on the streets from 6am to 6pm, which takes their full attention.We have poured $36k into this house because we believe in what we are doing. We had a hiatus while doing construction without the house full so we are in arrears, but know that we can fill this house soon and need some support until we do. Deborah Barnes has served our homeless community for many years. Our landlord, Dario Pini has been a blessing in every way. His home is amazing, he has accomplished much in our favor for the wonderful edible gardens spaces, believes in our efforts and has offered us more houses to aid more seniors. The National Coalition on homelessness in Wash DC says the Silver Tsunami is already a crisis in the top 6 most expensive cities of which SB is one. Many eyes are upon this agency nationwide to emulate this effort in other communities. WSR is setting a right direction to aid seniors.Applications are on our website homepage at www.worthstreetreach.org. Further info can be found daily on our blog and FaceBook pages. All donations are tax deductible.

#1: it should not be a "shock" to not find rentals for $500 in the Santa Barbara area. Yet many well-priced rentals exist all over this state. Retirees often move to where they can afford the local standard of living.

#2: The vast majority of subsidized units in this area are already dedicated to low-income seniors from both private non-profits to public housing authorities. Enough is enough.

#3: Taking surveys in the shelters where transients and drifters accumulate does not measure our local needs, which have long been accommodated at every level of low income housing.

#4: Ms Barnes created a worthwhile project, but apparently the need was not as great as the vision.

#5: We do not need any more subsidized senior housing in this area for our local needs; it is not our local duty to house every transient and drifter who comes here and demands low-rent in this high-cost area.

#6. Senior public housing is the one group that has predictable turnover, with new openings all the time due to the obvious mortality factor. Unlike other public housing categories where there is virtually no turnover creating an unwarranted windfall for the few and no unknown history of later abuse sub-leasing these units and moving on themselves.

You want facts? Go to the city website and look up their affordable housing offerings and you will find the long list of dedicated senior units. Go to the Louise Lowry Center and pick up their thick print-out for senior services in this area funded by both the public and the private sector. People tend to die after a certain age which then frees up their housing unit for higher rates of turnover than for younger residents - no data necessary. Check out the rental ads to learn why you will not find rentals under $500 in this area, so it should be no shock to show up here and learn the facts of life here.

@JavisJarvis The EVIL that comes from you`re ( display of words ) . Maybe you should work for Obama and be lead by stupidity ^^^^ oh and by the way you`re own GOVERNMENT is taking every thing away from ( you so called smart people ) and you don`t do anything about it ... Do you why this is ?ill tell you - YOU believe in the lie$ of $money$ - in which you think in a weak MIND is going to save you ..... Every thing you have was GIVEN to you ( period ) . Called ( LIFE !!!!! )